At the Crossroads

011

"There will be a parents and teachers conference next week, but it will be on a weekend. Please give the invitation letters to your parents. Thank you," Daniel announced to the class before leaving.

Jungkook merely stared at the envelope in front of him.

"Will your mother come?" Dahyun asked Jimin.

Jimin nodded, "Of course. She has always been a stage mom. I think she will urge my father to come too."

"Ah. I want to see her again," Dahyun nodded, then she looked at Jungkook, "How about you?"

"I don't know," Jungkook sighed. There was a long pause before Jungkook spoke again, "Actually, playing a piano is relatively easy but inviting my dad to come is the hard part."

"I'm sorry," Dahyun whispered as the two looked at Jungkook sadly.

Jungkook bitterly smiled as he told her, "It's okay. It's not your fault."

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Dahyun yawned, "Why is he so slow? What the hell is Jimin doing?"

"Listening to confessions, maybe," Jungkook shrugged. They were beneath a tree, like they would usually do as they wait for Jimin.

"And breaking girls' hearts," Dahyun added with a grimace, "That playboy."

Jungkook chortled, "I am certain that he will change when he finds a girl that he can seriously love."

"I hope that girl comes soon," Dahyun mumbled, "She will be able to save a bunch of hearts."

Jungkook then looked at Dahyun intently and as Dahyun felt his gaze boring onto her, she blinked a few times before asking him, "What?"

Jungkook shook his head and averted his gaze, "Nothing."

Silence resonated between the two but Dahyun soon broke it by telling the male, "Jungkook, may I ask about your father?"

Jungkook sighed heavily, "Shoot."

"What happened between the two of you?" Dahyun paused, "Why are you living separately?"

Jungkook smiled sadly as he honestly stated, "Because I don't like him."

"Why?" Dahyun asked, "He's still your father."

"Hmmmmm. How can I explain?" Jungkook asked himself before turning to Dahyun, "Would you mind listening to a long story?"

 Dahyun nodded slowly.

"Once upon a time,I had a mom," Jungkook started as he looked at the dancing leaves above them, "I believed that she is the most beautiful thing in the world. She had the brightest smile and the kindest heart. She's so warm that she would make you feel like summer would never end with her by your side. It was her who taught me to love music and we used to create wonderful memories and music as we play the piano together. I always thought that when I grow up, I want to marry someone like her."

Jungkook smiled at the thought but he continued, "If she has a flaw, then her flaw would be that she never loved my father. Their marriage was born out of arrangement and not out of love. Mom kept seeing her lover. Even if I was still a kid, I know. I know that mom was cheating and I refused to believe it."

Dahyun gazed at him sadly but Jungkook still spoke, "Then my father filed a divorce. They separated. I wanted to go with my mom, but my father kept me. I always thought that my father is selfish. He never considered my feelings. I always thought... is it not enough that his wife loved his child so much? Can't that be a good reason to stay together?"